


Void

by Woodface



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, cw: mention of miscarriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2014-12-23
Packaged: 2018-03-03 02:53:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2835413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Woodface/pseuds/Woodface
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tenzin is right behind her as Lin storms out of the house. He's rambling at her, but she can't make out a thing he says as Katara's words are still ringing in her ears.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Void

**Author's Note:**

> Big thanks to @avesnongrata for the beta and for encouraging me to post this.

Tenzin is right behind her as Lin storms out of the house. He's rambling at her, but she can't make out a thing he says as Katara's words are still ringing in her ears. All she knows is that she doesn't want him there. She doesn't want him following right at her heels, and she quickens her step, forcing him to jog to try and keep up with her.

"Lin, please!" He grabs hold of her arm as he moves in front of her. The heat of his fingers through her sleeve is too much, and she tugs her arm free instinctively.

"Tenzin, just…" she grits her teeth, trying to keep it all in while all her instincts are screaming at her to lash out, to hurt him so she can hurt less. " Not now. Let me be."

"You don't have to do this alone," he pleads with her, and it only irritates her more.

"Yes, I do. Right now, I do." She tries to move past him, and when he tries to block her, she lashes out. The boulder hits him square in the chest, knocking him to his feet. His eyes are wide in shock, but Lin ignores it and stomps past him towards the ocean.

This time he doesn't follow. She keeps moving until she reaches the end of the small beach. She pulls off her shoes without thinking about it and starts climbing. She doesn't stop until she's out of breath, and she finally sits down on a rock, overseeing the water. Republic city stretches out in front of her, its rooftops reflecting the sun, and she sighs, tilts her head back, and closes her eyes.

She can't imagine going back there now, even if she wants to get off this island and away from Tenzin's family. She feels like she's failed them all, in a way, and she touches her stomach, trying to imagine the void that's left inside of her now. 

It's too much. She draws her knees up and stares, wishing she could cry, but it doesn't seem like she's even got that.

She doesn't know how long she's been sitting there when the sounds of someone approaching pull her out of her thoughts. They're noisy about it, giving her ample warning so she can get away if she wants, but she doesn't move; she knows who it is.

"You're bending me stairs when we go back," Kya complains as she finally drops down beside Lin. She's noisy and vibrant in all the ways that grind on Lin's nerves, but Kya never seems bothered by Lin's irritation.

"You're a waterbender; you didn't have to come that way," Lin grumbles.

"It was more fun this way," Kya says simply. Her leg bumps Lin's as she stretches out beside her on the rocks.

Lin doesn't answer. Every muscle in her body is tense as she waits for Kya to say whatever it is she came to say. 

"I'm not going to lecture you," Kya says softly, not even looking at Lin. She closes her eyes instead, her leg still pressed against Lin's as she soaks in the sun.

Moments like these with Kya are rare. She's usually a storm - not Bumi level, but still impressive - so when she quiets, it's like a whole world suddenly opens up in its wake. Lin never thought her emotions were part of that world, and maybe it's the soft press of Kya's leg against hers or just the knowledge that she really doesn't have to do this alone… It could be any of those. It could be neither, but the sob passes her lips before she can stop it, and Kya is suddenly sitting up, wrapping her arms around her. Lin doesn't fight her for once, but leans back against Kya, and for a long time she can't speak or do anything but let Kya soothe her.

"You know what the worst part of it is?" she whispers. Her voice is thick, and her head is pounding so hard she almost expects Kya to hear it. "I think part of me is relieved."

"Lin," Kya starts, her arms tightening around her.

"No," Lin shakes her head and struggles until Kya lets her arms fall away. "Part of me _is_ glad. Could you see me having kids? I'm not exactly what you'd call motherly, but I talked myself into it. I thought I could do this because Tenzin…"

"It doesn't matter what Tenzin wants," Kya says. "Not right now. This is about you."

"It was his child," Lin argues. He wanted it more, too. It'd been an inconvenience to her. 

"And yours," Kya raises an eyebrow at her, and Lin makes a face.

"I'd almost gotten used to the idea too," she sighs and rubs at her face. "Tell me this isn't a sign."

"It's not," Kya says firmly, looking very much like her mother in the moment. "It sucks, and it's unfair, but it's not a sign. Mom says there's still a chance, it's just… small."

Lin shakes her head. "No. No, no, no. I'm not going through this again. This is it. I'm done. Tenzin was the one who wanted children. I never…" She snorts. "I guess I won the argument, huh?"

She's glad when Kya doesn't answer, and she sighs, her shoulders slumping as she stares down at the water. "I think this is the end."

"Don't say that," Kya shifts beside her, and Lin doesn't protest when she wraps her arm around her shoulders again.

"How can I not? This is everything he wants. It's important to him," she swallows. "It's important to the world."

"Hey, Tenzin's not the only offspring of the last airbender," Kya protests. "This doesn't have to rest all on you."

Except that it does, because Bumi is _Bumi_ and Kya… Well, Tenzin might be blind, but Lin has seen the girls Kya sneaks into the house, and she's not naive enough to think they're just sleepovers. 

Kya sighs and presses a kiss to Lin's temple. "Tenzin's an idiot if he lets this come between you."

Lin stays quiet and watches the water. She doesn't think Tenzin will break things off now. He's too decent for that. He's too solid and principled. She kind of hates him for it at that moment, and she wonders if maybe everything about them had been too easy. This? This isn't easy at all. She feels empty and free all at once, and she knows there's no way to go back to what was. She can only go forward.


End file.
